Rams' Matthew Stafford Sounds Off on Jordan Whittington

The Los Angeles Rams spent a sixth-round pick on Jordan Whittington in last year's draft class. While his expectations weren't anything to write home about, his skill set and where he was taken in the draft were comparable to that of their star wideout, Puka Nacua.

While these two players were never gonna have the same production in their rookie year, that doesn't mean that Whittington didn't show flashes last year of what he could be in this Rams offense. There were times last season when both Nacua and Cooper Kupp were injured, and in those moments, Whittington stepped up.

In 2024, Whittington was targeted 28 times and brought in 22 of those balls for 293 yards and an average of 13.3 yards per reception. He was responsible for 14 first downs, and his longest catch went for 50 yards.

His best game was in week five against the Green Bay Packers, where, despite the loss, he was a reliable part of their passing game. He caught seven balls for 89 yards, and the weeks leading up to that game showed continuous progress and development.

As their stars on offense got healthier, Whittington's opportunities to play for the Rams diminished, but he still had a role on their special teams. He was their primary kickoff returner, running for 453 yards throughout the course of the season, with his longest return going for 43 yards.

2025 would've looked brighter for Whittington's development if the Rams hadn't decided to sign Davante Adams and give Tutu Atwell an extension, solidifying their top three wide receivers on offense.

Still, that doesn't mean that Whittington won't get opportunities to play, as he's likely the next man up if any of them were to get injured or need a break. Matthew Stafford spoke in an interview about Whittington's progress and how he's been able to improve in the off-season.

“I think he put in a great off-season. I saw him working with Puka [Nacua] and some of those guys. So, he’s come back ready to go. He’s a physical dude, can run, great special teams player, a guy that can fit in like Tutu—can kind of play all the spots if you need him to, which is great.

The more of those guys that you have on your team, the better. Just excited to see his growth, too. The more opportunities these guys get to play NFL football, the better they're going to be. He’s definitely a guy who, when he gets an opportunity, he really does everything he can to try and take advantage of it. You got a bunch of guys like that on your team, you feel pretty good about it.”

Whittington might not get as many opportunities to help out on offense, but whenever he's called up, I'm sure he'll make the most of it and use his skill set and route-running skills to elevate the Rams' offense.